Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and his wife, Dr (Mrs) Alanyingi Sylva were on Thursday, in Abuja, certified as Global Peace Ambassadors by the International Association of Peace Advocates, IAPA.
The duo were awarded ‘Eminent Peace Ambassador’ by the US based, UN backed peace advocacy Association for their immeasurable contributions towards national and communal peace.
Chief Sylva’s role in birthing the Presidential Amnesty program, according to the Association’s henchmen, were the foundation of his recognition while Dr Alanyingi’s role in gender fairness, education, rural empowerment and climate attention earned her the recognition.
Accepting the award, Sylva who was represented by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Julius Bokoru, began: ‘as Governor of Bayelsa State it was the motive of peace that inspired me to conceptualize the Amnesty Program’
‘The Niger Delta region was in turmoil and I felt a military solution would create a winner-loser situation. So I opted for a win-win solution’
‘This award is an unexpected encouragement and it would steer me to put in more efforts into Peace building not only in Nigeria and our communities but around the world too’
H.E Alanyingi while accepting the award gave all glory to God and recounted some of the most moving moments of her long, illustrious journey towards peace building and humanity.
Gen. Paul Boroh, former Presidential Amnesty Coordinator began by heaping encomiums on Sylva, whom he described as a ‘good man’ for his vision in the creation of the Amnesty Program under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Gen. Boroh also said: ‘Alanyingi Sylva truly deserves this award. I am a member of the International Peace Family and I can say that you (Alanyingi) are now a Global Citizen and must represent that. Congratulations.’
In his Goodwill, His Excellency Ambassador Philip Ikurusi said: ‘Peace is needed for any society to be developed and no one is too small to be part of that process. I congratulate his Excellency Chief Timipre Sylva and his dear wife Mrs Alanyingi Sylva for this very deserved recognition’
Mrs Amaba Ogbuku, the wife of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commision, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, described Alanyingi Sylva as one born with the spirit of ‘doing good’
International Spokesperson of the IAPA, Mr Emmanuel Nweke described the couple as a concord of humanity, vision and hope.
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